The Main Causes Of Receding Gums And Treatment Options

Receding gums are a concern as it can be indicative of a variety of issues. However, while receding gums should be easy to spot, the reality is that they are not.

That’s why you need to see a dentist regularly to keep an eye on your overall oral hygiene and correct any issues early. They will be able to identify receding gums and help you to deal with them.

There are several reasons why you may have receding gums:

Brushing To Hard

It’s easy to believe that brushing harder will help to remove more plaque and food debris. However, brushing too hard is likely to damage the enamel coating on your teeth, especially if you brush within twenty to thirty minutes of eating.

Excessive force is also likely to damage the gum tissue, effectively causing receding gums. The safest approach is to hold your toothbrush with one finger and your thumb, it will reduce the amount of pressure you can apply.

Poor Oral Hygiene

When your teeth are not cleaned properly debris builds up which can become plaque and then turns into tartar. This hard material sits on the gum line and contains bacteria that attack the gum, leading to gum disease and the gums will ultimately start to disappear.

In severe cases, the gums will start to pull away from the teeth and create pockets. These then become infected which can cause damage to the bones and tissues in your face. Ultimately this will lead to tooth loss.

Smoking

Smoking and grinding your teeth regularly will also place additional pressure on your gums, encouraging them to recede.

Don’t forget, it’s not just health problems you’ll be facing. When your gums recede you will be more conscious of your smile and start smiling less. This will lead to stepping back from social occasions and can reduce your confidence.

Treatment Options

You may be surprised to discover that braces, such as these stylish ones offered by Little Bay Invisalign, can help to repair gums. This is simply because they place pressure on the tooth and gum, effectively blocking bacteria and encouraging the tooth and gum to adhere to each other.

It is also possible to have scaling and root planning done. This is when the dentist removes all the plaque and hardened tartar from your gum line. This is much the same process as a deep clean. They will then follow up by smoothing the roots of your teeth to encourage the gum to reattach to the teeth.

It will leave you feeling sore but it usually resolves the issue.

Surgery

If the scaling isn’t enough to resolve the issue then your dentist may consider you a candidate for gum surgery.

This is when your gums are cut and folded back, allowing the dentist to smooth the rest of the root and encourage adhesion.

They can also use a regenerative material that is administered above and below the gumline. This encourages your body to repair the bone and gum that has been damaged.

You’ll then just need to maintain a good oral hygiene schedule.